(Closed) What’s the best non-furry pet for a 5 year old to interact with

I’m no dummy, so I know that my son’s first pet is really going to my me and my BF’s pet that my son plays with 🙂

That being said he’s been proving his responsibility (keeping his room clean, brushing his teeth and watering his plant every day) and I think we might consider getting a small pet that doesn’t have fur.

What’s something besides a dog or a cat that is more kid friendly? I was thinking a turtle, but someone said they give you salmonilla??

We’re willing to invest in high quality habitats, but we want something without fur that won’t be so large.

What about bearded dragons? My Fi has them and they are cute when they are little. They are pretty easy going, just kinda hang out on your hand and they don’t bite. Well, if you scare the hell out of it it might snap at you but its pretty hard to do, especailly if you touch and hold them everyday.

we have a large tank, a day and night heating lamp, a sun bathing rock and water bowl and some dragon food and crickets

You would have to hose out the cage everyonce and a while but even then they do not smell to bad.

Turtles are not very interactive, so I’m not sure how much he could “play” with them. He might soon get bored with them, and you should also be aware that a turtle can easily outlive you and your son! How about a budgie?

@MissFireFlower: are you wanting something without fur because of the actual FUR issue, or becuase you just want to have something other than a cat or dog? Their are totally non-shedding (and even hairless) cats and dogs out there. But if you just want something different, I’d call a local zoo/vets office and get their advice… it’s a long term commitment so you’re doing the right thing thinking it through before just buying something!

You could do fish, but you obviously can’t really play with them. Hubs and I have 2 big tanks, and we love watching the fish. How about a hedgehog? A friend of mine had one growing up, and they are really quite cute. You just have to learn how to handle them correctly.

@MissFireFlower: There’s a type of bearded dragons that stay small but I’d have to ask SO what the name is.

Just be aware bearded dragons are pretty high maintenance. They require crickets daily and also greens (dandelion greens, raddicchio etc.) but cannot eat specific things (tomato, broccolli) you should look up a feeding chart for them because even iceburg lettuce can kill them.

Once they get big they should be eating more greens than crickets.

I would suggest a gecko – I keep Crested Geckos. They eat a special diet that is powder form and you just add water to it.

To keep them they don’t need extra heat or lighting, just keep them at room temperature and monitor the humidity (spray the cage nightly).

I wouldn’t suggest getting a baby though as they tend to be jumpy. But if you do get a baby make sure you are comfortable hand walking it.

This is going to sound sarcastic but I am being sincere. Have you thought of getting him a webkin? Pets are such a huge commitment for the whole family. A webkin (a stuffed animal that links to a website) would be a great start bc you son would have to ‘take care’ of it daily, feeding it amongst other things. So its good practice for the real thing later on. I did this for both my daughters one ended up with a hamster and my youngest just stuck with the webkins. Just a thought. Bonus to this is no clean up!

@MissFireFlower: Birds only smell if you don’t clean out the cage for ages. Otherwise they are very clean.

Budgies are the most sociable birds I know of, other than parrots who can bite pretty nasty. Budgies could potentially bite if they are not handled right. But with the right treatment, they are fun companions who will sit on your son’s finger and maybe even learn to say a word or two.

Once you narrow down your options, I suggest to get a book about the proper care for that animal. These books are available in pet stores and will also tell you a lot about the behavior of the pets and what you can expect from having one. They are very helpful when you try to decide if a certain pet is right for your family.

what about a small fur pet? My brother had a hamster when he was about 6. It does not shed like a dog or cat but you can still play with it (slowly you need to be sure it gets used to being handled and does not bite because they have sharp teeth). You can also put it in a hamster ball and let it run around the house and outside making it much mor interactive than fish and having a far shorter life span than a turtle. Of course, you will need to change the cage weekly but you would prob. need to do the same with a turtle or lizard.

@kayberry: Beardies can also eat super worms. We order them 1000 at a time and keep them in a big sterilite container. Ours gets greens daily as well. We just buy them when we go grocery shopping. They really aren’t that high maintenance. Definitely no more than my fish or turtle.

@MissFireFlower: if you pet them from back to front they are. You would just have to make sure you go to a place that really knows how to handle and care for them. Of course, you can do a google search as well to find out how to handle them, what they need, etc.